forum With a Twist and a Twirl, They Disappeared into the Fog (o/o closed)

Started May 29, 2021 by @tungsten group

tune

It had been the wrong person at the wrong time. We clung to each other as if our lives depended on it, like if one were to release the entire world would collapse. We danced near the foggy lake, and with a twist and a twirl, he had disappeared from my arms that night.

Once upon a time, there was a legend of a king who had a mystical lover. This king in particular never married them, for something stopped them that the general public wasn't aware of. One day this lover disappeared; his mysticality and presence throughout the kingdom seemed to support it so much that it didn't take long for the entire kingdom to crumble and be completely abandoned by both its king and its people. This population of people were killed mercilessly by its neighbors, and there are only rumors of people who may have survived.

Years later, there were whispers among the eldest of these neighbors spoke of the king who hadn't been killed, but rather escaped to try and find their life force (aka their lover). The love this pair shared was so intense that it needed to be rekindled, perhaps to try and save their kingdom and bring it back to the former glory and strength it showed before.

Will this king find their lover after years of separation? Or will the king fade away into a simple legend, lost in time just like their kingdom?

This isn't a finished idea, and certain details are omitted with purpose (so it can be any gender and sexual affiliation!). I'd like an experienced RPers with ideas relating to a fantasy world like this one.

also, I will be making a new OC based on this. I recommend you make one just for this (though you don't have to) :)

You can also pick which one you'd prefer to be– The ruler or their lover.

A few rules–

• Again, for this certain RP I'd like an experienced RPer. Please don't take it personally if I say no, but I usually say yes to the first person who asks to join so knifujckoijuhjngvnkvlm shh

• You should be prepared to ask me questions because I'm a huge dumbass lmao. It can be a little confusing working with me on plot, so PLEASE don't hesitate. I'll TOTALLY understand ^^

• Ideas can be trope-y. I don't really care, in fact I like a lot of tropes. I think it'd make this slightly underdeveloped idea a lot better if we do several.

anyway big dumb do ask to join. any questions askie. I'll prolly ask for a writing sample.

~

Gaaaaa I'd love to have you! I don't need a sample from ya though because I've RPed with you before.
So few questions for you then!

Would you like a straight, gay, lesbian/queer relationship (so I can change the prompt to make more sense)?
Would you like to be the ruler or the lover?
And any questions about the prompt? I know it's a little vague so I'm willing to answer.

Awesome! I don’t really mind which relationship dynamic we go for, though I do have a lot of experience with writing gay relationships. (as well as being a masc presenting person with a male partner asdfghhsdj) And if you truly don’t have a preference for which role you’d like, I think I’ll snag the ruler! The sad pining will be so fun-
I don’t have too many questions, but are they both human or is the lover something else?

I have a good bit of experience writing gay as well, so we can go with that ^^
Awesome I would love to be the lover then!
And yeah it's implied that the ruler is Human and the lover is erthreal or an angel of some sort. I haven't decided yet on what I'd like it to be LMAO

And I just fixed up the prompt so it has the correct pronouns n shit

Ah, okay nice! I figured that was the situation, but I thought I should clarify lol. Other than that, I don’t have many questions. Are we doing a character sheet or just jumping right in?

Yeah ofc no problem! I'm leaning closer to the lover being closer to something undead or at the very least an angel of some sort? But I also kind of love the idea of them being an elf for like no reason lmao. What do you think?
Either or is good with me! Youd have to start though so it's what you want to do there. I think it'd be more interesting if we didn't have sheets but 🤷‍♀️

Ooh, ethereal elf lover definitely has some appeal! Ultimately up to you though, a combo of those could be good too. If we’re making new characters specifically for this rp, I’ll probably make a quick sheet for myself anyway, whether I post it or not lol. We could go in without though if you’d prefer that? I’m leaving major decisions up to you since this is all your idea lmao.

I think I will go with the elven idea. If you're familiar with dnd terms I might make them a halfling elf so the proportions are a little better in terms of a Human, buuuuuuut long boy elf is what I want to do so cry about it you small humans =3=. But the idea of them being an elf would give me a great idea as to why they disappeared soooooo elf it is!
Oh no I really would like your opinion! I can post a charrie sheet if you'd like. I personally suck at making character sheets so I don't like doing them. But you'll be the best one to start us off like I said because you'll be the king, so? charrie sheets are up to you

Name:
Age:
Sex/uality:
Height:
Weight:
Hair:
Eyes:
Complexion and skin tone:
Character’s body build:
General Personality/Stereotypes:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Hobbies:
Other:

Here's a sheet if you'd like one. I'll be using this one ^^

Name: Elluin Kelran
Age: Hundreds of years old– They never disclosed their age.
Sex/uality: Male Presenting (Gender Neutral "they/them" or "he/him" works); Homosexual
Height: 6'6
Weight: 178lbs
Hair: An icy, almost faded out blue. Shines silver in even the slightest of light. This trait has earned them the name "Fog" among the Humans in their kingdom who couldn't pronounce their name. Long and closer to their shoulders, and naturally curly.
Eyes: Narrowed and dark brown, with hints of white colors around the pupil. Almost comparably small to the rest of their face.
Complexion and skin tone: An "elven" complexion where their bone structure is prominent and strong, their features like their nose and eyes are small and hidden underneath their sheet of naturally curly and voluminous hair.
Character’s body build: Athletic, slim, tall.
General Personality/Stereotypes: Elluin is more of a shy elf, with not much to say. They always lend an ear to those who need it and personally enjoys hanging out with a lot of people, despite their more "introverted" personality. Also likes to be involved with general word of mouth around town.
Likes: Learning, teaching, exploring. Constantly moving around and working with their hands.
Dislikes: Being watched, heat, dislikes most types of tea.
Hobbies: Gardening, practicing different types of languages, talking to humans and learning their cultures.
Other:

(sorry for the slight delay! life is wack.)

Name: Gray Reeves
Age: 27
Sex/uality: Male; Pansexual
Height: 5'10
Weight: 143 lbs.
Hair: A light brown colour, almost a dirty blond. While he usually keeps it neat and short, the past few years on the road have kept him from getting it trimmed properly, leaving it slightly jagged from his own hand. He's gotten better at it, though it's still a bit messy. He often remarks about how he thinks it would be fun to have outlandishly colored hair, specifically red or maybe purple.
Eyes: A deep, chocolate brown, seeming almost black near the pupil. While they have a kind tilt to them, years of kingship have hardened his gaze.
Complexion and skin tone: Slightly tanned, many birthmarks scattered across his skin in various shapes and locations. Soft features that have hardened over his life
Character's body build: Before everything changed,he didn't ever often need fight. He trained regardless, knowing he'd need it one day. Nowadays, he's glad that he'd thought ahead, a slightly muscled build and the life he leads keeping him quick on his feet and lean.
General Personality/Stereotypes: Ever since he'd escaped his failing kingdom, he'd been plagued with a sense of guilt. He'd abandoned them in their most vulnerable moment, and he knew that. He wouldn't say he regretted it though, knowing that he needed his love by his side to maintain the kingdom in all its glory. It would've just been worse if he'd tried to keep up the strong act. He's determined to find them again, willing to travel through any forests and swamps he encounters. His confidence falters occasionally, though in the long run he believes in himself. He knows this is what he has to do.
Likes: Pastries, coffee, heights, animals, rain, and domestic mornings. Ironically, he's not a morning person.
Dislikes: Alcohol, bugs, humidity, and crowds.
Hobbies: He was taught to play the piano when he was younger, and while he didn't enjoy it at the time, he quite likes it nowadays. Though he hasn't had access to one in a while.
Other: He loves cats and ferrets possibly more than life itself.

Gray almost always woke like this nowadays- quick and suddenly. One moment he'd be sleeping soundly, and the next he'd jolt upright in his bedroll, breathing heavily. It was like he'd awoken from a night terror, though he never had any recollection of dreaming at all. Mornings like this were always the most… fantastical? He wasn't quite sure how to describe it. The air was slightly sticky, a morning fog winding through the forest. He'd set up camp at the shore of a small lake he'd stumbled across though, so he supposed that fog and humidity were a given.

Catching his breath, he surveyed the land around him, needing a quick reminder that he was, in fact, here. The small tent strung above him. The pack settled beside his bedroll. The smell of woodsmoke in the air from last night's campfire. He finally let himself relax, crawling out from under the warmth reluctantly. Looking up at the sky, it appeared to be around six o' clock in the morning, though the trees obscuring his view could quite possibly be throwing him off. The light orange tint to the sky that hinted sunrise was clear, however. Taking a moment to rekindle the fire, Gray began thinking about what he'd do for his first meal of the day. His appetite wasn't terrible, so he figured he could skip breakfast and ration his food for later. With a soft sigh, he held out his hands to the small flame he'd managed to revive, warming himself. The weather was rather fair, but summer was still a decent distance away. They seemed to be in the early throes of spring, the weather uncertain and always slightly damp. It would be nice if he'd had a safe, warm place to reside every night, but he wasn't terribly bothered. It was one of the many things he was willing to sacrifice for his cause.

Though even Gray had to admit that it was all seeming a bit pointless now. He'd spent… Gods, how long had it been now? Years? No, it couldn't have been. He vaguely remembered that he'd attempted to count the nights when he first set out, but after a few moons had passed, he gave up on that. The numbers got all jumbled in his head, anyway. He'd been traveling for a great many days at least, and found no sign of them yet. He'd come this far, however. He was determined. He would not return to his kingdom alone. He would return with them by his side, or he would not return at all. He'd promised himself that at the beginning of his search.

Fog whispered across the quiet waves of the lake that lapped steadily closer to Gray's outpost for the night. Sometime over the night it had rained a little, so the ground underfoot sunk as if the king was approaching some sort of marsh. Elluin always spoke of adoring fog, but hating getting wet and heat. If their elven lover were there with Gray in his steadfast, surely the elf would be complaining.

Shortly on the walk through the whispering forest, it started to rain steadily, water bouncing off of heavy mossen rocks and green leaves. Scampers of early morning animals ran on Gray's sides, but the occasional snap of a branch hidden in the thick canopy of the trees alerted to something heavier than a deer or a squirrel. These noises soon melted into a growling, heavy thunderstorm, the clouds themselves brushing over Gray's face as he kept trekking through the mountain.

Elves were known for living deep in the forest. In his years of searching for answers as to where Elluin possibly could have gone, those were the only details he got after hours of scouring libraries. Research was useless now. All Elluin left behind were indecipherable notes that no one of Human origin could understand. As far as Gray knew, it was simply nonsense.

(Also sorry for the small response– I'll definitely get a little longer. Without playing a character it's a little hard to flesh out answers. I might accidentally take Gray over for a few sentences to try and flesh out their relationship and get it moving a little, sorry for that too hfijk)

Gray tried not to linger on thoughts of what Elluin would do if he were here now. Too many sleepless nights had been spent thinking about what could be if things were different, what might be happening if he wasn't alone. It always brought tears to his eyes. Instead, he bore forward, stopping only when he heard the telltale signs of something- or someone, his subconscious provided- nearby. He'd freeze, listening attentively with nimble fingers on the knife at his thigh. If anything dared to get too close, it'd be out of it's sheath in a split second. He'd grown quick on his feet and steady with a blade over the years in the wilderness on his own, though he'd only been in a true fight a few times. Once or twice with mere humans attempting to snag something of his, and other times with something indescribable. Clearly he'd gotten out in the end, but he had a few scars lining his body from those encounters.

Squinting up into the sky, he cracked a smile as the rain started. As uncomfortable as he was sure it would get after a while, it was nice for now, a welcome sprinkle on his shoulders to keep him from getting too warm. He humored his more childish urges for a moment, sticking his tongue out slightly to catch a few drops. Humming softly, he went back on his way with a soft smile. He should settle for a rest soon, he knew that. He needed to eat, as well. He disregarded it, though. He'd continue on for now and make camp once he absolutely needed to. If he was lucky, he'd come across an old shack of some sort out here, perhaps an abandoned shed or something. He'd found one a while back, and had since kept hoping he'd find another.

By the time he finally decided to settle on a steady rock underneath a wide tree, his feet ached and his head was pounding. He'd carefully surveyed the area first, making sure that he was alright to rest for a moment. As it so often was, the area around him was completely vacant and unsuspicious. Finally content that he was safe for the moment, he took a long swig of water, gasping like a small child when he finally pulled the canteen from his parched lips. He allowed himself a short moment of rest and a quick bite to eat before he stood again, rearranging his things slightly. He tucked his bag under his cloak just in case, slung slightly to the side for ease of access. He wrapped the cloth tightly around himself before continuing on his way up the faint, worn path through the trees.

(asdfgsadjfh don't worry about that or answer length, you're doing great! i don't know many people that can make the weather genuinely interesting to read about lol, i'm just happy to be along for the ride.)

It had taken moons, eons it felt like, to find even the faintest paths or signs of another civilian life that wasn't Human. Even more so to find an Elven path, and Elves were known for being naturally sneaky and well-hidden. They despised their Human counterparts, after some long war that Elluin tried to explain, but never really clicked with any of his Human subjects. After he disappeared, there was speculation that somehow, perhaps, that war was heavily connected with his ghosting of the kingdom.
However those rumors are years old now. Gray himself had become a rumor, a shadow slinking around strong kingdoms who had crushed his former home for money and spite for the slightest racial connection to another race. Gray was looked down upon by other leaders for his choice of lover. Some thought more was going on than what King Reeves was letting on, but it was truly just love between two souls. That love sent him far out away from these kingdoms and climbing infinite mountains, sighing near thick, dark pines and glowing mushrooms as the sun set on the cloudy, rainy day.
Clouds passed rapidly as wind brushed through the pines, scattering the needles around his feet as he trudged away from the last visibly green clearing. The altitude was rising as he went up the barely perceivable path, but the moon helped lead his feet. It was actually as if the moon itself was guiding him, for it didn't shine through the thick trees around him, just casting down on the passing Human.

He must be getting close. But night was fallen, and crushes and crunches of the forest were surrounding him in the darkness.

(hnfjdhb thank you I try my best! By the way I love how you write Gray so far, he's wonderful)

When he'd first begun his travels, Gray had attempted to keep a normal sleep schedule. That had quickly dissipated however, when he found that many nights he couldn't even begin to fall asleep. So now, he just stuck with his own schedule- after all, he'd been alone for quite possibly years now. He relied on himself, and himself alone. He slept when he was tired, he ate when he was hungry, and when he wasn't either, he walked. He at least tried to put himself back on a regular sleep schedule whenever he knew he was nearing a village, however. Which he believed he was. He'd gotten directions from a number of sources, as well as wandering travelers and other villages that he passed through, and of course relying on his own knowledge as well, gained from years of study and reading in the kingdom.

At least it wasn't raining too heavily at the moment. The wind and sprinkling rain were whipping through his hair, but it wasn't as bad as the weather had been on other days in the past. The village should be just ahead, as well- a spark of hope for him to look forward to, at the very least. But as the sounds of the forest began to surround him, his grip on the hilt of his knife tightened. He knew that it was likely nothing, perhaps a rabbit of some kind, but it was better to be safe than sorry. If he got lucky, maybe he'd score a fresh meal. He cautiously continued forward up the mountain, squinting up ahead. Was that a lantern, or the moon? Picking up his pace slightly, he drew closer. No, the light had too much of an orange tint to it to be the moon. Another few minutes of walking, then, and he'd finally find at least a bit of something interesting. They had to have some sort of news that could be of use.

(aaaaa thank you! i'm kind of figuring him out as i go lol.)

As his stride quickened in his slight excitement, for he hadn't seen anyone of traveling standards for quite some time in this climate, he came upon a cloaked figure holding nothing but their lantern with a candle flickering inside. This person was particularly tall, but upon looking behind them, there was also a stouter companion holding everything to a bookbag and a torch for the pair. Well, Elves certainly existed, so other creatures of "lore" had to exist too. Both were talking to each other, but not in a language Gray could understand. Their voices got louder as Gray grew closer. One was a female, the taller one, and the stouter was a male, with a rumbling heavy voice as he talked and supported a torch.
A grumble from the male and a visible finger pointing over to the other traveler on the wide path alerted their companion. She stopped talking promptly, turning her dark hooded face onto Gray curiously. It wasn't common at all to see Humans of Gray's caliber out here, so it was certainly a surprise.
"'Ello there," said the gruff voice of the dwarf, however, instead of his feminine companion. "Sorry for her staring, she does not speak the language of your kind. What brings you out here so late, my dear chap?" These two also explained the noises that were so overwhelming to the Human before. The dwarf was certainly carrying a lot on his back, and his feet seemed bigger than his entire body, which was heavyset despite his height.

(you're welcome!!)

Approaching the small village, Gray was rather surprised to see people already. Part of him wondered what they were doing out this late, but it wasn’t his business, so he didn’t ask.

Walking up to the pair, he smiled politely at them both, bowing his head slightly to the woman. If she truly didn’t know the language he spoke, then he wanted to be sure to show his respect and goodwill in a nonverbal way. As high-ranking as he was in his kingdom, out here he was just another traveler. In their village, nonetheless.

“I’m looking for someone,” he began. “An Elf by the name of Elluin. Tall, blue hair, rather quiet?” He knew that the chances the pair had seen him were low, but he would never get anywhere if he didn’t ask at all. He paused, allowing the man to speak before continuing on with his explaination.

The soft voice an Elf left the hood of the taller traveler, and the dwarf looked up at her to listen.
"She says here that she might have seen someone like that back at her hometown. She said a soldier of some sort." The dwarf's dark eyes settled onto the Human traveler. "Though if you've been searching for them and they're a soldier, you would have found them by now." The soft voice of his companion spoke again, and he tilted his head up respectfully. "She said you can get further direction from the town up ahead. An Elf city isn't far from here, but they don't welcome Humans kindly. They barely welcomed me when I came to pick her up–" He gestured with a thumb– "So stay away. They certainly won't treat you kindly. Find another way perhaps."
"They might be a soldier posted as well, if you're lucky," whispered a voice in his ear. "Though soldiers rarely stay behind unless they're educated." The Elf had stepped forward and touched his shoulder with a finger in order to talk to him.